Episode 15
A moonless night in the new moon phase.

It just so happened that our squad was assigned the night patrol.

Even the veterans who had spent years on the front lines couldn’t help but remain tense during these night watches.

In the pitch-black darkness lurked deadly demons like the Hyo-gwi, and occasionally, the Blood Sect’s demonic leaders would prey on our soldiers for their lust or to drain their life force. Even the most skilled masters among them posed a serious threat.

But our squad was different.

Because we had Squad Leader Seolpung.

“Hold.”

At the front, Seolpung muttered softly, and we all froze in place, alert to our surroundings.

He whispered, “Hyo-gwi.”

No sooner had he said that than a demon silently sprang from the shadows.

Attack!

If we hadn’t been prepared, it would have been a terrifying ambush.

But the creature’s head exploded mid-leap.

Crack!

Seolpung’s swift withdrawal technique, faster than the Hyo-gwi itself, shattered the demon’s skull like a watermelon.

In the blink of an eye, he killed the Hyo-gwi and turned back to us.

“Situation clear. No more threats.”

He was as reliable as ever.

Even I, a man, couldn’t help but admire him.

For Seolpung, who trained blindfolded even in normal times, night patrols were just another routine task—no different from any other.

Naseoyu and Cheon Ju-eun smiled brightly and said to him, “Thank you for your hard work today, Squad Leader.”

“You’re the best, Squad Leader! So cool!”

Seolpung visibly flustered and waved his hands.

“N-no, it’s nothing. Not cool at all. L-let’s keep moving!”

He dashed ahead as if fleeing, and Naseoyu and Cheon Ju-eun giggled behind him. We all knew he wasn’t just pretending to run—he really was running away.

That awkward side completely erased the impressive image he’d just shown.

If only he didn’t have that fear of women.

Seolpung had trained alone in the mountains since childhood and found interacting with women extremely difficult.

No, “difficult” wasn’t quite right—it was more accurate to say he was afraid.

Because of that, it was hard to tell whether to regret his imperfections or be grateful for his humanity.

A memory suddenly surfaced.

In my past life, that awkwardness only disappeared after someone died.

I shook my head, pushing away the bitter thought.

This time, I wouldn’t let it happen again.

But first, I had to deal with the root cause—the one responsible.

I glanced back at Jeomchang Swordmaster Joo Tae-kyung and his lackeys trailing far behind us.

Joo Tae-kyung, who refused to acknowledge Seolpung, always kept his own group and acted separately.

If he were confident, he’d be leading ahead, but instead, he always followed behind.

A snake through and through.

Of course, the danger wasn’t gone entirely.

I’d heard that before Cheong-yeon and I arrived, two men had been taken down by rear attacks while acting like that.

As I watched them, Bisea-young asked me, “So, the duel with that guy is in a week. Confident?”

“Well, can I be? I’m just going to do my best.”

“Hmph! That’s not the spirit. You have to crush him. I’m counting on you.”

Suddenly, Seolpung, who was leading the way, joined the conversation.

“If our internal energy were equal, Jin’s skill would obviously be superior. The problem is the internal energy. It would be great if you could at least reach half-gapja and use sword energy.”

“Hmm.”

He wasn’t wrong.

My current internal energy was roughly twenty to thirty years’ worth. The minimum to wield sword energy was half-gapja—thirty years—so resolving this within a week was unlikely.

Naseoyu looked worried and asked, “But even if you have more than half-gapja internal energy, not everyone can use sword energy, right? You have to break through the sword energy merchant’s barrier with enlightenment.”

She had a point.

The first barrier was the sword energy merchant, and the ultimate was the ‘Strongest of the Strong’ level. Some said creating sword energy was even harder than creating raw energy.

Of course, since I had already surpassed the sword energy merchant’s barrier in my past life, it didn’t apply to me.

Cheong-yeon answered, “That won’t be a problem. Seonwoo Gongja’s spirit has already surpassed the first level, but his internal energy hasn’t caught up yet. It’s a strange case.”

…She was sharp as always.

Bisea-young, sounding frustrated, pressed again, “I get the feeling you’re hiding something. Why not just tell us? It’s only us here.”

Hmm, should I tell them now?

Everyone will find out in a week anyway, and I trust these people.

After a moment’s hesitation, I decided to share.

“Actually, before coming here, my father gave me an elixir. It grants roughly ten years’ worth of internal energy.”

In truth, I had two, but I decided to keep one secret for now.

Bisea-young’s face lit up. “Oh, great! Then why not take it now?”

At that moment, Seolpung asked sharply, “Is there a problem with purity? Is there too much external energy?”

I answered bitterly, “Yes, that’s right.”

“How much?”

“About fifty percent if I take the elixir.”

“Hmmm.”

Seolpung fell silent with a serious expression.

Cheon Ju-eun, who hadn’t been following the conversation, asked, “What are you talking about? Am I the only one who doesn’t get it?”

Seolpung looked a bit embarrassed, so Cheong-yeon explained.

“If external energy exceeds fifty percent of total internal energy, the risk of demonic possession increases. Seonwoo Gongja is saying that if he takes the elixir now, that could happen.”

“Ah, demonic possession.”

That was why I’d been delaying taking the elixir.

Of course, with the excellent power of Honwon Mugukgong rapidly purifying my internal energy, I planned to wait until it was safer.

Unless Joo Tae-kyung reached the upper first level soon, I thought I could manage for now at the mid first level.

Cheon Ju-eun put a finger to her lips and murmured, “I thought elixirs were all good, but they have drawbacks too.”

Short and youthful, Cheon Ju-eun looked utterly adorable doing that.

Everyone smiled at her cuteness, and Baek Jong-gwan, who was hopelessly fond of cute things, couldn’t resist joining in.

“I-I’ve never taken anything like that either, Cheon Sojeo.”

Cheon Ju-eun grinned and replied, “Oh, really? So you’re just like me, Baek Gongja.”

“Ugh!”

Baek Jong-gwan clutched his chest at her cuteness, and we all shook our heads, ignoring him.

Naseoyu suddenly changed the subject.

“Well, looks like we’ll be busy for a while. There’s your duel, Seonwoo Gongja, and then the Blood Demon’s summit with the Alliance Leader. It feels strange. I’ve fought demons on the front lines plenty, but I’ve never been part of events like this.”

Now that she mentioned it, that was true.

About a month after the duel with Joo Tae-kyung, the summit between the Martial Alliance and the Blood Sect was scheduled—right here in the Thirteenth Generation.

The meeting between the Martial Alliance’s leader, Hyeopwang Moyonggeom, and the Blood Sect’s leader, Sahyehyeolma Jeon Mookwang, had many worried it would spark another bloody battle rather than a peaceful summit.

But from what I’d experienced in my past life, they actually met peacefully, talked, and parted ways.

Bisea-young grumbled, “Ugh, just thinking about that old deputy leader trying to look good is awful. Why does it have to be here in the Thirteenth Generation?”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Deputy Leader Heon Youngbo, who was already desperate to impress the higher-ups and get out of here, was already causing chaos, ordering the squad to clean and reorganize.

At that moment, Cheong-yeon, who never cared about the flow of conversation when curious, suddenly asked, “But isn’t it strange? If external energy over fifty percent increases the risk of demonic possession, how do most of the Blood Sect’s demonic leaders, who build their internal energy by absorbing others’ life force, stay alive?”

“Huh?”

“Right…?”

Usually, when Cheong-yeon asked questions like that, the mood would turn tense, but this time, it seemed to have worked.

I was curious too.

How do they survive, absorbing others’ energy like that?

Everyone thought hard, but unfortunately, no one knew the answer.

---

The next day, while the rest of the Seventh Squad trained, Jeomchang Swordmaster Joo Tae-kyung was also deep in practice.

“Haah!”

Shuaaaak!

A pale sword energy shot forward like a spear, piercing the air.

Truly the disciple of the Jeomchang Sect of the Nine Great Sects.

Watching his training, Squad Leader Jeomchang Swordmaster Mayugyeom nodded approvingly.

“Having a goal really speeds up progress. You’ve definitely improved. Now you can confidently say you’re an upper first-level warrior.”

Joo Tae-kyung bowed respectfully and replied, “Thank you, Senior Brother. It’s all thanks to your guidance.”

Since the Jeomchang faction had been wiped out, there was officially no headmaster. Yet, Joo Tae-kyung called Ma Yu-gyeom “Headmaster Sa-hyung,” and Ma Yu-gyeom himself didn’t find it awkward at all.

That was because Ma Yu-gyeom was not only the third strongest among the many Jeomchang disciples fighting on the front lines for the sect’s revenge, but also the son of Ma Won-woong, the Jeomchang headmaster who had been killed by the Blood Sect.

Had the Jeomchang faction still been intact, Ma Yu-gyeom would have naturally been the next headmaster.

With that background, his skill, and his striking good looks—like Kwan-ok—Ma Yu-gyeom’s influence within the Thirteenth Division was immense.

It was said that he commanded countless followers not only within the Thirteenth Division but also across other divisions.

Ma Yu-gyeom spoke again.

“Lately, the warriors have been calling that guy Diamond Rain Star or Iron God Meteor, but I don’t think you’ll lose to someone who’s nothing more than second-rate. Still, don’t be satisfied with just not losing. You need to show the overwhelming presence worthy of a Jeomchang disciple. Understand?”

“Yes, Headmaster Sa-hyung!”

Suddenly, Ma Yu-gyeom recalled his first encounter with that insolent Seon Woo-jin.

When Seon Woo-jin, Cheong-yeon, and Cheon Ju-eun first arrived at the Thirteenth Division, all the squad leaders gathered to assign them to squads.

At that time, Ma Yu-gyeom had actually tried to bring Seon Woo-jin into his own squad.

Despite Seon Woo-jin’s first impression—his flabby appearance that made Ma Yu-gyeom frown—he had heard that Seon Woo-jin and Cheong-yeon had just taken down a Hyo-gwi the day before, which piqued his interest immediately.

“Those with no experience at all took down a Hyo-gwi?! Is that true?!”

But Seon Woo-jin gave an awkward smile, trying to downplay himself.

“It was actually Cheong-yeon Sojeo beside me who caught the blind demon. I’m just a second-rate warrior; I couldn’t do much.”

In truth, Seon Woo-jin wanted to avoid Ma Yu-gyeom’s attention, but to Ma Yu-gyeom, even that humility was endearing.

It was quite a favorable impression.

Cheong-yeon Sojeo, standing next to Seon Woo-jin, also said this:

“My martial skill might be higher, but it was Seon Woo-jin Gongja who saved my life by smashing that demon with a chair and prying its eyelids open so I could stab it with my sword energy. All I did was follow his lead.”

Hearing that, Ma Yu-gyeom couldn’t help but be impressed.

For someone who had never faced a demon before—and only a second-rate warrior at that—to risk his life to approach a demon and pry its eyes open was remarkable.

When asked how he knew that Hyo-gwi were weak to light, Seon Woo-jin answered that he had gathered information in advance, anticipating coming to the front lines.

Considering the strict information control that prevented leaks from the front, it was clear how much effort he had put into gathering intel.

There was no reason to hesitate.

Though still second-rate, he was clearly someone worth nurturing.

With a satisfied expression, Ma Yu-gyeom said,

“Knowing that Hyo-gwi are weak to light and actually prying open its eyelids are two different things. Your preparation is excellent, and your courage even better. I like you. Daeju, I’ll take him into my squad. We just had a vacancy, so that should be fine, right?”

Just as the Daeju Pungyang was about to nod in agreement, the young man suddenly shouted,

“No!”

Startled by the sudden refusal, Ma Yu-gyeom frowned deeply and asked,

“What? You say no?”

For a moment, Ma Yu-gyeom’s mood soured.

How dare he reject the offer of the son of the Jeomchang headmaster, who would have been the headmaster himself if the faction were still intact? His influence within the Thirteenth Division rivaled even the Daeju’s.

This was unforgivable.

With a scowl, Ma Yu-gyeom snapped,

“Are you saying you won’t join my squad?”

Seon Woo-jin, who had shouted, was actually flustered.

He disliked Ma Yu-gyeom but felt it was too risky to make an enemy of someone with so many followers from the start.

After a brief hesitation, he suddenly turned his head sharply and shouted toward Seol Poong, the relaxed Seventh Squad leader sitting in the corner.

“Seol Poong Squad Leader, right?! Ever since I got information from the front lines, I’ve wanted to join your squad! Please accept me!”

Seol Poong, caught off guard, blinked wide-eyed and pointed at himself, asking,

“Me? Me?”

Seon Woo-jin nodded vigorously, his eyes and voice burning with passion as he shouted again,

“Yes! I heard you can smash the heads of those monsters that even sword energy can’t pierce with your knuckle technique! From the moment I heard that, I was determined to join your squad and learn your knuckle method!”

Of course, that was a lie.

In his past life, Seon Woo-jin had refused Seol Poong’s offer to teach him the knuckle technique.

Back then, he thought fighting demons with fists and feet was crude and terrifying.

But Ma Yu-gyeom, unaware of this, scoffed, thinking there was no way he’d let Seon Woo-jin slip away to someone like Seol Poong, especially since he liked the guy for the first time in a while.

“Hah! You dare reject the son of the Jeomchang headmaster and say you want to join the Seventh Squad? The Seventh Squad is full of riffraff from the rumor faction and quack medicine men who only know external techniques, right? You’re the third son of the prestigious Seonwoo family of Gwiju, aren’t you?”

The Seventh Squad, newly formed, was indeed a gathering of misfits, both in strength and status.

Ma Yu-gyeom thought that once he laid out his background and the reality of the Seventh Squad, Seon Woo-jin would change his mind.

But those words only made Seon Woo-jin’s blood boil.

It was an insult to the Seventh Squad, his own squad in his past life.

Furious, Seon Woo-jin started throwing out words recklessly.

“External techniques! I want to learn those too! I want to see whose skin is tougher—mine or the Blood Sect’s demons!”

That was a blatant lie.

Bae Jong-gwan, who specialized only in external techniques, was the only friend from his past life whom Seon Woo-jin had thought of as pathetic.

But Seon Woo-jin’s desperate bluff worked.

Ma Yu-gyeom’s eyes went wide in disbelief, while Seol Poong’s eyes lit up as he jumped to his feet.

“Excellent spirit! To beat demons with knuckle techniques! Good, Seon Woo-jin Gongja! Join me! I will make your body stronger than any demon’s!”

Seon Woo-jin responded loudly, as if waiting for the invitation.

“Yes! Squad Leader Seol Poong!”

Seeing the two fools so perfectly in sync, Ma Yu-gyeom finally gave up on him.

Clinging to him any longer would only bruise his pride.

But even after giving up on Seon Woo-jin, Ma Yu-gyeom’s pride still took a hit.

He was also rejected by Cheong-yeon Sojeo and Cheon Ju-eun Sojeo, whom he had tried to recruit instead.

Just thinking about it made his blood boil with anger.

And to make matters worse, that guy he had his eye on was already showing remarkable performance on the front lines, even though he had only just arrived.

What made it more valuable was that his success wasn’t solo—it was boosting the combat power of the likes of Bi Sa-young and Bae Jong-gwan from the Seventh Squad, whom they had dismissed as riffraff.

He should have forced his way to bring him into his squad back then.

Recalling that thought, Ma Yu-gyeom shouted at Joo Tae-kyung,

“We have to teach that guy a bitter lesson! Make sure he remembers exactly what the Jeomchang faction is!”

“Yes! Don’t worry, Headmaster Sa-hyung!”

Joo Tae-kyung thought Ma Yu-gyeom’s warning was pointless. He had no intention of letting Seon Woo-jin live.

How dare a second-rate nobody insult a disciple of the prestigious Jeomchang faction?

The only way to repay that was with his life.

Joo Tae-kyung’s eyes gleamed dangerously.

But just as Ma Yu-gyeom was about to leave, he stopped and gave one last warning.

“I’m saying this out of caution, but don’t kill him or seriously injure him.”

Startled, Joo Tae-kyung asked,

“W-what?!”

Ma Yu-gyeom gave him a cold glare and asked,

“Why the surprise? You weren’t planning to kill a comrade who’s fighting alongside us against the Blood Sect’s demons, were you?”

“N-no, of course not. I just thought… if we’re going to teach him a lesson properly…”

At that moment, an overwhelming aura burst from Ma Yu-gyeom’s body.

A fierce blaze!

He looked at Joo Tae-kyung with eyes full of killing intent and said,

“Joo Tae-kyung, our ultimate mission is to defeat the Blood Sect and reclaim our headquarters. You haven’t forgotten that, have you?”

“No! Of course not, Headmaster Sa-hyung!”

“For that great cause, even if the enemy is a bunch of riffraff from the heretical sects, we must cooperate. Especially since we’re fighting alongside comrades against the Blood Sect’s demons. No matter how much of a snake you are, I trust you won’t do anything crazy. Understand?”

“Yes, yes! Absolutely, Sa-hyung!”

Under Ma Yu-gyeom’s icy gaze, Joo Tae-kyung broke out in a cold sweat.

The difference between Ma Yu-gyeom, destined to be the headmaster of the faction, and Joo Tae-kyung, nicknamed “The Snake,” was that vast.